Pyrophoric lighting mechanism



Apri124, 1934. L, v ARONSON 1,956,187

PYROPHORIC LIGHTING MECHANI SM Filed April 24, 1930 Patented Apr. 24, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,956,187 'Praornomo LIGHTING MEcnANrsM Louis V. Aronson, Newark, N. J., assignor to Art Metal Works, Inc., Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey` Application April 24, 1930, Serial No. 446,826

2 Claims.

My invention relates topyrophoric lighting mechanism per se and to such mechanism in combination with a container for articles such as cigars, cigarettes or the like, such an article or articles being hereinafter generically termed a cigarette or "cigarettes.

My invention, in one of its prominent phases, relates to a novel arrangement for applying pressure to a pyrophoric element whereby it is biased into engagement with a rotatable serrated wheel.

My invention, in other prominent phases thereof, relates to novel fuel-container arrangements and to a combined cigarette container and pyrophoric lighter.

Various other objects, advantages and characteristics of my invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

. My invention resides in the pyrophoric ligh ing mechanism, combined device, features of construction, and arrangements of parts of a character hereinafter described and claimed.

For an understanding of my invention and for an illustration of some of the many forms panying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a device constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, partly in elevation, and is taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Figs.' 5 and 6 are fragmentary, vertical sectional views, partly in elevation, and are taken on the respective lines 5-5 and 6--6 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective` views illustrating 40 parts of my novel mechanism; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating another feature of my invention.

Referring to Figs. 1-8 of the drawing, 1 and la represent upstanding members of any suitable character. Extending transversely through said members-1 and 1a is a pin or member 2 upon which a wheel 3 and a disk 4 are freely rotatable, said wheel and disk being suitably secured together for rotatable movement as a unit.

Freely oscillatory on the member 2 is a member 5 which may have depending side walls provided with alined perforations through which said member 2 extends. Secured exteriorly to and movable with the aforesaid side walls are 55 the respective pinions 6 and 6a, Fig. 5.

thereof, reference is to be had to the accom- Extending transversely through the aforesaid upstanding members 1 and 1a, and suitably spaced from the member 2 is a pin or member '7 upon which is pivoted a member 8 having spaced side walls 8a, 8a. slidable within the space 60 defined by the aforesaid members 1, 1a. The member 8 is suitably biased in a clockwise direction, Fig. 3, as by a spring 9 coiled around the member 7 and having opposite extensions 9a. 9a thereof contacting, respectively, with the lower surface of member 8 and with the upper surface of a plate 10 disposed, in the example shown but not necessarily, below the lower flanged surfaces of the members 1, 1a and suitably secured thereto, Figs. 5 and 6.v

The aforesaid side walls 8a and 8a of member 8, at the ends thereof removed from the member "I, terminate in rack sections which mesh with the respective pinions 6 and 6a.

The aforesaid member 5, at the end thereof removed from the member 2, carries a snuifer cap 11 coactable with a wick tube 12 upstanding from the member 10 and having a wick 13 extending therethrough and projecting from the upper end thereof.

The aforesaid disk 4 has ratchet teeth at the periphery thereof. Coactable with these ratchet teeth is a pawl 14 disposed between the aforesaid side walls of member 5 and pivoted on a member extending transversely thereof, said pawl 14 being suitably biased toward and into engagement with the ratchet teeth of disk 4.

Secured to and upstanding from the plate l0 and disposed between-the aforesaid upstanding members l, la is a member 15, Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 8, provided with a slot 15a extending substantially parallel with the members 1 and 1a, said member 15 further being provided with a passage 15b which extends therethrough substantially vertically beneath the pin 2 and is in alinement with a similar passagey 10a extending through the plate 10, Figs. 3 and 5, the slot 15a andA passage 15b being arranged in intersecting relation. Extending from the member 15 and disposed above the plate 10 is a tube 16 which opens through a transverse member 1b connecting the aforesaid members 1 and 1a, Fig. 3.

Disposed in the aforesaid passage 15b of member 15 is a pyrophoric element 17 which projects above the top of said passage l5 and engages the peripheral face of wheel 3 which is serrated or` roughened as is customary in the art.

In accordance with my invention, a member 18 is slidably disposed in the aforesaid slot 15a of member 15 and is provided with an inclined face 18a which engages the lower surface of the pyrophoric element 17. Secured to the member 18 is a cylindrical member 19 slidable inthe aforesaid tube 16, the members 18 and 19 being suitably biased from right to left, Fig. 3, as by a spring 20 disposed in the tube 16 and suitably held under compression, as by a plug 21 threaded into the latter. As will clearly appear, the inclined face 18a of member 18 coacts with the pyrophoric element 17 to hold the latter, under substantial pressure, in engagement with the wheel 3.

With the parts in their normal or non-operated position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the member 8 may be manually depressed against the action of spring 9 to swing the same in a counterclockwise direction whereby the sets of rack teeth at the ends thereof, by coaction with the respective pinions 6 and 6a, cause the member 5 to be swung in a clockwise direction, Figs. 2 and 3, to thereby elevate the snuffer cap ll from the wick tube 12. Further, as a result of such swinging movement of the member 5, the wheel 3 and ratchet disk 4 are given a step of movement in a clockwise direction, Fig. 3, by reason of the clutching action of pawl 14 on disk 4.

When the wheel 3 is thus given a step of movement in a clockwise direction, Fig. 3, sparks are pyrophorically produced because said wheel coacts with the pyrophoric element 1'7 and these sparks are propelled toward the now-exposed upper end of wick 13 to ignite fuel carried thereby and produce flame.

After the flame thus produced has served its intended purpose, pressure may be released from the member 8, the latter, under the influence of spring 9, moving in a clockwise direction and the member 5 moving in a counter-clockwise direction, Figs. 2 and 3, until the snuiier cap 11 again seats upon the wick tube 12 to extinguish the aforesaid flame. When the member 5 moves counterclockwise as just described, the pawl 14 idles with respect to the ratchet disk 4, the latter and the wheel 3, accordingly, remaining stationary.

In accordance with my present invention, a suitable cigarette receptacle is associated or combined with the hereinbefore described flame-producing mechanism. Further, a suitable fuelcontaining receptacle is combined with said mechanism and, as herein shown, said fuel-containing receptacle and the cigarette receptacle may be disposed in side-by-side relation.

Accordingly, the fuel-containing receptacle may be constituted by a more or less tubular container 22 having approximately the length of an ordinary cigarette and suitably secured, in depending relation, to the aforesaid plate 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the aforesaid wick 13 is adapted to extend into the container 22 which may receive fuel of any suitable character, either jelly-like or liquid, through a suitable opening which may be A formed in the container bottom wall and suitably closed, as by a plug 23. If desired, the container 22 may have a suitable mass 24 of absorbent material, as cotton, disposed therein.

As shown particularly in Fig. 4, the fuel container 22 is of such diameter that'the associated cigarette receptacle may have suillcient thickness permitting the disposal therein of side-by-side layers of cigarettes C. Under such circumstances, the base of the cigarette receptacle may be formed from a member 25 which depends from the aforesaid upstanding member la, Figs. 5 and 6, has a side flange 25a, Fig. 4, a bottom flange 25h, and which at 25e, extends partly around the fuel container 22, said base section 25e having the cigarette receptacle cover member 26 pivoted thereto at 27. Said cover member 26, at its upper edge, is disposed adjacent the lower surface of the aforesaid depending member 1, Figs. 5 and 6, and has a side flange 26a together with a bottom flange 2Gb,` Fig. 4.

The cover member 26 may be latched in closed position by mechanism of any suitable character, the actuating member 28 of such mechanism being herein shown. Preferably, the cover member 26 is suitably biased toward and movable to open position upon depression of the actuating member 28. If desired, cigarette retaining members 29 and 30 may be provided. As shown, the member 29 is pivoted to the fuel container 22 and is lightly biased into engagement with the cigarettes in the base member 25. With the cover member 26 in open position, the member 29 may readily be swung in a clockwise direction, Fig. 4, to permit Withdrawal of the cigarettes from the base member 25. The member 30 is shown as pivoted at the pivotal axis 27. It, too, is lightly biased into engagement with the cigarettes in the cover member 26 and is movable in a counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 4, when said cover member 26 is in open position.

As shown in Fig. 3, the aforesaid alined passages 10a and 15b are accessible when the cover member 26 and when the cigarettes are to one side thereof. This is an important feature of my invention because greatly improving the pyrophoric element mechanism per se over prior arrangements.

Thus, should it become necessary to substitute a new pyrophoric element for a worn one, the cover member 26 may be opened as just stated. Then, after removal of the plug 21 from the tube 16, the member 18 may be moved from left to right, Fig. 3, so that it is no longer in the passage 15b. To facilitate this operation, the spring 20 may be connected to the member 19 and also to the plug 21. After such retraction of the member 18, the worn pyrophoric element is readily removable through the passage 15b and 10a through which a new pyrophoric element is readily insertable.

An important feature of my invention relates to the member 18, or equivalent. As shown, the customary pyrophoric element backing spring is not utilized in the well known manner. In lieu thereof, the spring20 is employed and this spring thrusts the pyrophoric element 17 into engagement with the wheel 3 by force applied to the member 18. In accordance with my invention, the sloping face 18a of said member 18. engages the lower surface of said pyrophoric element and causes the same to be thrust upwardly as will clearly appear from Fig. 3. When the pyrophoric element is unworn and of relatively great length, the member 18 is well to the right, Fig. 3. As the length of said pyrophoric element diminishes, due to wear thereof, the member 18, to greater and greater extent, moves toward the left, Fig. 3, under the influence of spring 20. The sloping face 18a of said member 18, however, remains constantly in engagement with the pyrophoric element and, therefore, the latter is maintained in engagement with the wheel 3 with the requisite degree of force.

An arrangement of the character just described, therefore, is highly advantageous with a combined pyrophoric lighter and cigarette container because, with the cigarette container open, pyrophoric elements with the proposed arrangement of Figs. 1-8 may readily be passed into the passage 15b o'r removed therefrom, and further because the pyrophoric element biasing spring need not be associated with the fuel container. Accordingly, the latter may be arranged the upstanding member 1 and the member 15,.A

said slot 31 communicating with the pasage 15b and serving as a path along which a pyrophoric element is passed either toward or from the wheel 3.

It shall be understood, as regards the pyrophoric element biasing mechanism which comprises the member 18, or equivalent, and directly associated parts, that my invention is applicable to lighter mechanisms and lighter operating mechanisms of many diverse types, and thatthe form of such mechanisms herein shown is by way of example only. Further, it shall be understood that the member 18, or equivalent, and directly associated parts need not be associated with a cigarette container and that, when so associated, other types of cigarette containers may be employed.

As regards that phase of my invention involving the fuel container and associated cigarette receptacle, it shall be understood that there may be employed many types of lighter mechanisms, operating mechanisms therefor and pyrophoric element biasing arrangements specically diilerent from that herein described. Further, it shall be understood that the type of cigarette container ,l 3 herein illustrated is by way of example only and that many other equivalent or similar types may be utilized as desired.

While the invention has been described with respect to a certain particular preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modiiications'may be made without departing from the spirit and'scoper of the invention and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modiilca tions.

What is claimed as new and desired to be vsecured by Letters Patent is:

1. Pyrophoric spark-producing mechanism comprising a rotatable wheel, a track member adjacent thereto, a member slidable in and laterally across said track member, said track member having a passage opening toward said wheel, a pyrophoric element in said passage, said slidable member having an inclined face engaging said pyrophoric element and holding the latter against said wheel, and means for moving said vslidable member laterally withl respect to said track member.

2. Pyrophoric spark-producing mechanism comprising a rotatable wheel, a track member adjacent thereto and terminating in a tube-like extension, a member reciprocatorily slidable in said track member, said track member having a passage opening toward said wheel, a pyrophoric element in said passage, said slidable member having an inclined face engaging said pyrophoric element and holding the latter against said wheel, and a coil spring in said tube-like mema ber for applying pressure to said slidable member.

LOUIS V. ARONSON. 

